The First Kiss
by Alexandra K3S
Summary: love is really a strange thing...
1. Chapter 1

_The first kiss_

It rained…chilling and brooding

The sound of rain clapping on the roof made up a monotonous pattern of rhythms. He listened. Vaguely. Quietly.

The room was silent, insidious with anticipation. The clock was ticking slowly, occupying the space with wearisome beats. He lay flat on his back; his arms folded supporting his nape, eyes staring at the door. Waiting.

In this quiescent room, only one appearance was welcomed at this very moment. At least, he was never let down. By her.

The door opened. After a "flick" sound. She appeared, soaking wet in her now transparent white dress.

He made no move, remained still in his stance and admired the view.

Drop after drop followed her silky hair-strands dripped on his room's matting or rolled down her finely-shaped cheeks, her delicate bridge of nose and her high neck. The water seemed to be more crystal-clear on the fair complexion.

She never wore an umbrella if she was to meet him, always soaked to the skin, which forever seemed to be a mystery to him and actually, he never asked.

She reached for the tower slung on the clothes-hanger in the left corner of the room and dried her hair. It was specially prepared just for her. He always knew beforehand, she would come in rainy days.

Tapering fingers grabbing the cloths rinsed hastily through her hair. It became messed-up, unruly but natural. He liked her stance when she did it without a care in the world. No posture. No pretend.

The tower quickly returned to it original place after permeated all the water in her soft hair or all over her neck and limbs.

Once again, he was allowed to enjoy the most gorgeous scene in his life…

She looked straight into his eyes but her gaze was soft and tender. Too many unspoken emotions reflected in those pairs of abysmal emerald orbs, burning him with desire without even trying. Her gaze did not leave him even when the spaghetti-strap of her dress was taken off her narrow shoulders. Her gaze still bore into his even when she tugged down the zip at her side. Her gaze still fixed on him even when she reached down to the hem of her skirt, pulled it up and revealed a pair of long and slender legs which could arouse all kinds of carnal desires ranging from placing butterfly kisses on them or having them wrapped around one's waist in a trap of ardor.

The higher the dress was pulled up, the more startling views he could behold: the white filly panties with scarlet strawberries (he always appreciated her taste in lingerie) came into view right after those perfect legs, then her flat stomach, of which the exquisiteness was enhanced tenfold by two great curves defining her waist, and then her matching strawberry strapless bra with the deep cleavage in the middle, revealed two ultimately sultry breasts whose softness and firmness together could be measured by naked eyes without touching. Still, those sinful but breathtaking mounds hurried a man's touch more than ever.

Then, their optical connection was broken for a few seconds when the dress went over her head, finished its traveling on her body and was let off freely and lightly on the floor in a fluid motion. He had no idea about what kind of power she owned so that she could execute such simple acts with so much fluency and sexiness. He loved watching her undressing and she knew everything about making it as slow and juicy as possible, right before his eyes to create thousands of small electric circuits running through his body and smoldered under his skin.

_Like a striptease, huh… _

A fire ran freely from his manhood to his stomach as she stood there in nothing but her undergarment. He could not help but ogling unashamedly at her body with his intense and desirous gape. However, the corner of his mouth soon lifted up to from a contented smirk when he detected the same covet when she let her eyes travel down his body. She was affected. Obviously.

She took a few steps forward until reached up to the end of his bed. Both shyly and worldly, she slowly crawled up towards him in a manner of a professional enchantress with a babyish face – a peculiar combination he found himself totally engaged in.

Her eyes gave away everything he could count – a bit sadness, a bit longing, a bit temptation, a bit comfort and a lot of desires, all were hidden clumsily under those innocent eyes. He would never know since when and why she had such a look that could lure any men into this human sin.

However, he always found himself overjoyed by the fact that she just looked this way when she was with him only. In day-to-day basis, people are always under the impression that she was so uptight, ceremonious and stern. He was so sure that if having a chance to watch the scene he was enjoying now, those who talked behind her back as if she was a hypocrite and "no-fun-at-all" would probably want to chew their tongues.

Though, feeling really smug when being the only one receiving her "special treatment", he never stopped wandering over one thing: from the first time they entangled themselves in fiery passion, she never said anything about the underlying reasons behind all of this, she never revealed why she chose him, of all people she knew, to do this with her.

_A sex mate,_

Her mouth drew lazy line along his warm neck, down to his collarbones and his chests, creating tingling sensation along the way as he moved his arms from it original position behind his head and enclosed them around her small frame. He gently moved his body up in a sitting position with his back still leaned on the soft pillows and her body on his torso. His skillful fingers quickly found her bra's clasp and undid it tenderly. As the bra came out off , her breasts was freed out in the sexiest motion he'd ever known – rapid but bouncy – that's why she never took if off herself, always let him do it, so not to ruin his amenities. He let his face sunk into the heavenly comfort of her snow-white, cushiony and bosom breasts as he tenderly rested one of his palms on her back and pushed her lightly forward while rested the other on her butts which were also soft and firm. The coolness on her skin rushed to make a distinctive contrast of temperature on his warm one. A contrast he loved when he felt the excitement to the way he could heat her up under his sensual and electrifying touches.

And he licked around her mounds before focusing on the perky nipples, and then tried to roll it under his wet greedy tongue while his long fingers were doing placid strokes on her smooth back and his other hand was rubbing circles on her butt. Her expression at this time never failed to stimulate him further as she closed her eyes and pinched her brows together in an act of enduring sweet and torturing bliss, and she bit her lips to occasionally release tiny, repressed sexual moan – so vulnerable and adorable.

Their sex never failed to amaze him…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

They never kissed, not even once…

It was not him who had problem with that, it was her, actually. He was always confident that he understood women like his own palm. They are kissable and love-to-be-kissed creature whether they were engaged themselves in an affair or real love. For them, kisses were indispensable foreplay; kisses stimulated them, made their toes curl and prepared them for sexual romance. Kisses may give them a false but effective impression of affection not only instinctive craving. However, she always went beyond his knowledge. She refused to kiss him at the first time they were together. When he intended to plant a heated kiss on her lips with the aim of showcasing his skills in making the most use of oral organs to satisfy a woman, she suddenly turned her face away; making the imminent kiss became a peck instead. She left it unspoken between them, they could do every other thing but no kiss and he never attempted to do it again, no matter how many times he really tempted to kiss those erotic cherry-lips and mingle his tongue with hers.

She was like a night sky to him – beautiful but mystifying…If some one had the right to figure out what was hidden beneath this innocent, virtuous but fervent beauty, he was definitely not this one…since mystery was also a major part of his life…

He respected her privacy just like she respected his…

And … why need to spoil the game any way? Mystery made so much fun…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A patient of her died today … after three days in coma.

Not her fault. He knew. The man was delivered too late to the hospital after the mission

She did her best. A medic was not saint, no matter how good she was. She knew it from the start but could not bear it in mind when she saw his three closest people collapsing on his breathless chest…

She wished that she was god, even he had told her, but she still wished, like old times when she was small, impossibilities turned true…so she could save her parents…her comrades…

If he did not happen to drop by the hospital to get his medical report and medicines for his last week wound, he would not hear the news. He did what he needed to do, be it a friend or a sex mate…He secretively flung himself to her own office's window and spotted her there, leaning on the room's door like her life depended on it, head bowed low to let her short hair hung down around her face like a curtain. Her stance emitted a sad wave of despair, squeezing his heart…

Hearing his foot stepping down on the window's sill or perhaps sensing his presence, she looked up to see him, tears must be obscured her vision now as they soaked her lashes and tainted her cheeks…

"Come here"

He said as he flopped down to stand in front of the window, after two quick tugs closing the curtain behind his back, he opened his arm wide in anticipation…

She rushed into his wide open hug without a second late…She cried silently onto the solid walls of his chests when his embrace tightened around her shoulders and her lower back.

Next minutes they found their clothes tossed down messily around the room in hasty and clumsy taking-off motions. He urged her to forget…

Skin on skin, flesh over flesh, breathless pants mingling with sensual moans and repressed grunts, thrusts after thrusts as he drove her fanatically on her working desk…

"Please, I want more, more…" – she begged

She never stopped crying this day as tears rolled down the corner of her eyes and damped her tress which was fanning out on the table…

……………

……………

Still entangling their bodies together after amazing heat, she rested her head on his chest as he stroked her hair affectionately:

"You're the strangest thing happening in my life"

"Really?"

"Yes, no doubt"

"I'm really glad"

"Huh?"

"That means you will never forget me, right?"

"Yeah, how can I…?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Flick"

Right after the sound, he bolted up right from the bed in time to instantly take in the hangover headache throbbing around his temples. Pressing two fingers onto two sides of his forehead, he glanced towards the noise-source. She appeared from the door with delight beaming in her eyes, she looked tired but relieved as if she had longed for this moment more than any thing. This was all predictable to him since she had come back from her three-week mission, if he had to suffer the restless nostalgia during those weeks, he felt much better if she also had to tolerate the same thing. But…_why she was there_, he thought she had come back yesterday…so who…he slept with last night…

That explained every thing why…

Right before she could open her mouth to call his name in glee, her eyes darkened and disappointment fleeted over her face like a massive grey cloud came out of nowhere to cover the blue clear sky in a nick of time. He looked to the right in her eye's direction: amongst the pillows and the blanket, a naked woman laying prone on her stomach. She seemed to be a civilian as she could still sleep like a log, totally oblivious to the third appearance.

With a shocked look like one who had received a blow with full force to the face, she pressed her lips tightly to keep it from quivering and let out a bitter smile:

Sorry, for disturbing…

Then she slammed the door and ran away before he could act...

………………………………………………………………………………………………

She disappeared three weeks later. True to him, he did not make any attempts to find her. Explaining was never his habit and he really had nothing to explain. After all, it was hard to blame him. He got really drunk that night and when he was in the bar, he, in fact, did not look for a night-stand. He missed her, after three weeks as long as hell, he suffered the lack of her warmth on his bed, her touches on his skin and her pleasure companion every single night. He craved for her hot breaths hovering over his torso and making him go goose bump all over. He dreamed of her hauntingly innocent eyes just to wake up and realized that he probably called her name in his doze. The missing bit his soul little by little, plunged him deeper into the bottomless loneliness which he did not know this insufferable before. If he was his previous self before she became the main part of his life, he would go out and seek for other women to fill up his inner hollowness and for a temporary replacement. But he found guilty to her if he did so, hence, he waited in unremitting wistfulness in those forlorn nights without a decent companion. It was an A-ranked mission and he really did not know when she would come back and alcohol seemed to be his only choice to get into a quick sleep and momentarily forgot her absence. He had no idea why she just suddenly appeared beside him in this noisy bar. The next thing he knew was that she was standing in his door way, looking happy then disappointed and then run away.

He made a mistake. He knew and he could not explain it. It seemed fake and stupid to use the old trick: "I thought she was you since I was too drunk" – he found it hard to believe himself with that. A man should be responsible for his act anyway. What is more, some part in his brain told him that it was improper for him to explain when they never stated anything about their relationship. Sex mates – and that's all from the start. She should have understood it. He or she, neither of them had the right to control other life and their bond was loose and free. She accepted it from the first time she was on his bed so she must get it now. For some one like him, emotional attachment was impossible.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

She appeared the twenty second afternoon in a downpour. He opened the door after the rapid-fire knocks as he already knew it was her. She forgot the key of his flat (he gave her) on its key-hole due to the last shocking encounter.

Soaking wet in her yukata, she looked straight at him with an odd sadness filling her deep jade eyes; she looked indescribably beautiful with all those crystal drops of water on her cheeks. Right before he could ask her to come in, she did a wonderful thing which completely took him by amazement – she kissed him. Full on the lips. Her lips were just as his imagination, supple, sensually wet and cool. As she forced her body further on his own, he reached out behind her back to close the door, careful not to break the kiss and the marvelous sensation it brought to him. She licked his lower lip over and over with her sweet slinky tongue feverishly before putting it in his mouth to find its partner and enjoying their electrifying wrestling with vehemence. It was not enough. The more they kissed, the hungrier they felt and the hungrier they felt, the more they needed to kiss. It beleaguered them in an eternal circle, washed them away in a storm of wild passion and primitive craving. Her starving mouth was tormenting him in its sweetest cangue. If he could find one word to describe her kiss, it must be "devouring". She was devouring his lips. But still, it's not enough to be compared to the real thing. It was more than that. She seemed want to drink his soul out through the kiss as they fell down on his bed because the growing desire was now making it too much for their weakening knees (by this kiss) to bear. He could count the times when he really enjoyed a kiss by the number of phalanxes in one of his finger but this was absolutely the best. The first reason was that he never had to endure this far not to kiss a girl who he had sex with. Thus, he had spent quite a lot of time in all those months imagining kissing her brain out. And now, everything seemed worthwhile when he never felt heaven was this near. Indeed, he never knew only a kiss could arouse all erotic as well as exotic sensations to him as it was doing now. And he felt something; something that had slept for so long now unexpectedly livened up, cracked a hard shell and broke loose. Something that his brain now was too busy to recognize clearly when along with his heart, it was being swept away by a huge wave named infatuation…

For the rest of the day, he really lived in paradise as they wore each other out by the constant love-making until dawn of the following day. He looked at her lovingly as he held her small hand and placed a kiss on its back. She smiled at him when they kept the utmost comfortable silence until she rose from the bed:

"I should go, it's late"

"Stay longer"

"No, I can't"

She answered while putting on her clothes. Her back was facing him, and she seemed to miss the disappointing look on his face.

"So come back here tonight, will you?"

She paused for a moment then pulled her zip up and turned to face him. She gave him a tender smile that appeared to sparkle under the radiant early-morning sun-rays tilted through the chinks of his window. He gave a mental note to by no means forget this scene in his life and assumed it as a "yes". And on she strolled leisurely toward the door and opened it wide. Once she stepped over the sill, she turned back to look at him with pure affection, she said:

"Good bye, Kakashi"

The door closed back to gradually hide her face away from his sight…

…

…

…

…

This was the last image of Sakura he could see…

The first and also the last kiss he shared with her

…

Since she went…for good.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

He could never understand why she went away after giving him that kiss.

At that night, after being tired of waiting for her, he came to her apartment and completely stunned to find an empty, hollow place. There was nothing there even the furniture. The room looked like it was never inhabited. It never belonged to a girl named Haruno Sakura.

Tsunade said that she volunteered to take on a confidential solo mission that may take a year or a few years to complete and more than anyone else, Kakashi knew he did not have to the right to ask her location. He knew she wanted to avoid him but did not get it why she chose to do this to him, chose to go away without saying anything, choose to leave him forever…

Why did she do this to him after making him realize that…

He loved her so much…more than he could ever imagine…

There was only one thing that could make senses to her decision: punishment

She wanted to punish him…because it was him who broke her heart…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A short break from "Secret" – while I'm struggling to put at end to it

I just felt so interested in writing it

Idea comes to me

Hope you all enjoy it!!! And comment please, I love them!!!!!

(I intend to write a sequence to this, but if you, guys say no, I will stop it here)


	2. Chapter 2: 8 YEARS

I indeed wrote this piece more than 1 month ago but I'm still undecided to post it since the tone seemed so much different from the previous part. After a lot of editing to change the original tone of this part, I finished it. Hope you, guys don't find it too bad and hope that you all enjoy it!!!!

And please comments, don't mind giving me some critics, whether it's good or bad in you opinion, just let me know !!!!

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_8 years…_

"_How well do you know me?"_

"_Because I know you, so I left" _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eight years later…

He had traveled around the whole world for the second time, broke into the most remote, inaccessible places, hunted down every trait that could lead to her, but she was no where to be found. She just disappeared from this earth like a sheen illusion on desert or a fragile seven-colored bubble. Sometimes, he just wished that he had never smelled her scent, never touched her creamy skin, never looked into her eyes, never received that kissed and most importantly, never met her so that he would in no way had to suffered the insane restless yearning that he had to endured during the last eight years.

The journey was protracted and tiring, in actuality, exhausted. Needless to say, many times he had wandered his thoughts over the two simple words "give up" but since the earliest moment he could mesmerize things, these two words had not been recorded in his own dictionary. This was the reason why if Kakashi wanted to do something he gave his whole mind to it. He devoted his life, his youth and even scarified his own happiness to protect Konoha and made it stronger. For some other ninjas, they still chose to get married and have children but for Kakashi, from the time when he decided to become a ninja, he had decided that bachelor's life was the only option for him. Part of his verdict was rooted from rational and justified cause that as a child, he suffered too much from the suicide of his father and saw how miserable his mother's life was after that and in spite of being a very tough man, Kakashi was never so sure whether he could be a good father, who would not run away for his own good and make eternal scars in his child's soul. On the other hand, the rest of his decision was just rooted from very irrational source: he just loved to be alone, to stay freely and unbendingly, and he had no idea how to deal with true love. Although being an extremely famous ninja, Kakashi, after all, was a man and being a man meant having a lot of sexually repressed problems needed to be vented out. Always hesitating to face up to emotional binding or truthfully, being too confused to deal with women's hearts, he decided to satisfy his instinctive need with unbinding relationship with countless strange women for his whole life. Some times, those relationships turned out to be longer than he expected, they were one-week stand, one-month stand but at the end, they all ended up the same as he predicted, which meant no tears, no heartrending farewell and no regret.

Then she came. Fourteen years younger than him, so annoying at first, but gradually grown up, becoming mature, attractive, resolute but still so delicate and fascinatingly unfathomable which confounded him to no end, Sakura had stamped an unforgettable mark in his heart. For him, she was the representative of what was the most feminine of a woman and what was the strongest of a kunoichi.

She seemed to understand him more than he did. She easily let him tell her his troubled, which also took him by surprise. No one could ever do that before. She never forced him to do anything or commit anything. With her, he was just himself; just Kakashi who was a liberal wind - no shapes, no bounds- just freely lived in his own way.

"_Because Kakashi is Kakashi, so I like you"_

_She said insidiously, and raised her hand to gently tug wind-blowing hair strands behind her ear, performing a so charming act effortlessly before his contemplating eye. The cheery petals were dancing merrily with the lead- in of cool and unruly wind. She sat still, totally at ease by him on the large tree-trunk of the full-bloomed Sakura-tree. A perfect spring's afternoon. _

Like that, they quietly strolled down long peaceful roads of Konoha village even in winter's nights or summer's afternoons, enjoyed the uttermost silent comfort with each other. If she needed his warmth, she would show up on a rainy day.

And here came what he tried to evade all the time. Whether her decision to leave him was so right since she understood him all too well, she saw things in him that he could not see himself? And her decision to leave was the best for them after all.

But why was the necessity to worry about it since he'd already on the path to prove whatever reasons she may give wrong?

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Sometimes he was frightened that may be she died some where and her body was already buried under countless layers of wintry dirt. This fear obsessed his dreams. In awfully a lot of times, he reared up from nightmares and felt so relieved that it was just dream

The scene kept playing back many nights in eight year, not once let his soul rest:

_She stood there between the door frame and the slowly-closing door, said her goodbye and then he witnessed himself rush to the door, open it and a hoarse scream tore from his throat when he saw her corpse dipping in blood, wide-opened eyes looked at him reproachfully_.

Yet, regardless of all those frightening obsessions, some where in his heart, he just knew that she was still alive. It came without any reasons. It was just growing stronger every day and became a fulcrum for him to move on. Steadily, tenable walls were built up around it and protect it effectively from any other attackers, namely, depression and disappointment. It was hope – a vehement hope confirmed that the only love in the Copy Ninja's life could not easily wither as such. As long as she was Sakura, she could continue to live somewhere in this huge world, with strength and confidence – the same enormous power that had broken the frosty ice-walls around his heart into pieces. She was still alive, hiding some where to get away from him. Only this could explain why he – the illustrious Konoha's ninja, the number one tracker in the ninja world could not find her after all those years.

In several times when he nearly caught up with a glimpse of a roseate woman on roads or streets in a faraway country or found out a place accommodating her by the help of kind neighbors, she just vanished without leaving any clues. If she could sense his existence as clear as he could sense hers, it elucidated everything.

After nearly two year vainly waiting for her in Konoha, he appeared at the Hokage's tower and questioned Tsunade about Sakura's mission. With hesitance, Tsunade at last admitted that Sakura had completed her mission haft a year ago and now she worked as a freelance medic nin traveling around the world without fixed home to help people in need. She did not state when she would come back Konoha and Tsunade progressively believed that she did not have any intentions to come back Konoha. After all, she no longer had any relatives here (her parents died three years ago) and her friends were no longer that important to keep her here.

This day was when Kakashi made the most significant decision in his life. Packing his luggage, he left Konoha to find Sakura. During the last two year, the reason he stayed back in Konoha and waited for her was just he thought he deserved the punishment she put him through. He thought that one day she would change her mind and come back to him and forgive him. Nonetheless, he was wrong. She really wanted to completely evaporate from his life like early downpours before scorching summer's days in Konoha.

Was it the reason why she always came in rainy days? Cool and hasty. Come and Go for good…

No matter how many years had passed by, her "coolness" impression still carved in his senses, burned in his memory like an undying spell.

When the woman turned away, she would never look back…

Hoped that it was not truth, hoped that she still loved him after all those years…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Sakura, come back here"

"No, the flowers look fresher here"

The name jerked Kakashi out of his preoccupied mind. _"Sakura" – why on earth…?_

He turned back in time to meet a pair of familiar emerald eyes stared at him curiously…

_from below_…

A tiny adorable girl with cherry tress, wide jade eyes, large forehead and red ribbon was looking straight to him with pure interest for a stranger – an exact miniature replica of Sakura. After moment of astonishment, Kakashi immediately realized that who the mother of this girl was. There was only one thing left to concern… He really wanted to force the girl to show him where her mother was but he contained himself back. He may scare the little girl – he could wait for eight years – it did not make any senses if now, he could not wait a little longer…

- "Uncle, why do you wear a mask, don't you find it hard to breathe?"

_Kiddie…_

Chuckling amusingly, Kakashi kneeled down before the little girl and gently pressed his thumb and his index finger on her soft chubby cheek to slightly pinch it:

"I have hay-fever and there are so many flowers here"

He looked around the endless daisy field extending to the horizon before returning to the cute face. The girl frowned in meditation rather than annoyance because of the pinch and continued doubtfully:

"Mom said: don't believe masked men saying that they have hay-fever, it's the lamest excuse."

Kakashi's surprise caused by the little girl was instantly balanced by the subsequent confirmation. Sakura once said the same thing when she questioned him the reason why he wore his mask. Giving the girl another warm smile, Kakashi rubbed her head:

"Your mother seems to hate masked men, doesn't she?"

Rolling her pupils to the right thoughtfully and slightly twisted her brows, the girl answered:

"Not really, I don't think Mon can hate anyone, she was so gentle and kind, every body loves her, I saw her treated masked men carefully several times, mom doesn't hate them, I just think she doesn't feel at ease around them like with others"

This girl was very sensitive at her age, and the way she could use exact words to describe people's feeling signaled a very similar trait of Sakura.

"I really want to give her a huge bunch of daisies, she loves flowers – the girl continued to chirp" – _well, there was no better chance_

"And you want to have the most beautiful ones, don' you? Let me help you, okay?"

"Really?" – a delightful and grateful glint appeared in the little girl's eyes, making Kakashi's liking to her increased tenfold. He really had to keep himself from embracing the little Sakura dearly – "I'm really worried that I can't hold them all"

_The girl was really…._

"Sakura, don't talk to stranger"

A loud voice shouting from behind little Sakura made her to look back in disturbance. There came a little boy who was slightly taller than the girl with a very bright but annoying face, raven eyes and unruly black hair.

- "Ne, Oni-chan, he's not a bad people. He's going to help me pick up flowers for mom."

- "Every one seems good people to you"

The boy retorted before looking at the masked man suspiciously and standing between her sister and Kakashi:

"Who are you? What do you want to do in Kazeyama?"

Insolence was palpable in his voice, which reminded Kakashi of a certain boy back in Konoha. Unfazed by the boy's intimidating attitude, Kakashi smiled back calmly:

"Is it a little impolite to ask people without introducing yourself?"

If he was also Sakura's child, Kakashi was sure that she taught him some manners, and he was not wrong. Though looking really bothered by the retort, the little boy answered:

"I'm Akamiya Isshiki – her twin older brother, and you?"

A lump rose suddenly in his throat along with a throbbing pain panged through his ribcage. The appearance of the boy just confirmed the fear that dimly materialized when he first saw Little Sakura…

_So, she got married…_

Judging from the boy's appearance – his father must be a handsome man with black lock.

Yeah, it was already eight years. That he did not move on did not mean she stayed the same…

_She ran away from you, remember?_ _What do you expect for?_

Looking at the two beautiful and healthy kids, Kakashi partially divined that she must have a happy life all those years. Was it a suitable time to show up out of nowhere and interrupt her cozy family by an inconclusive love…of eight years ago…

_She had a happy life, after all, you should be cheerful for that… _

Making a mental note in his mind but fruitlessly preventing himself from growing sadness, Kakashi smiled with the twin with gloom visibly in his lone eyes:

"I'm Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's Ninja"

The sadness in his eyes seemed struck the little siblings deeply as the boy looked no longer threatening and the girl moved to the front of her brother and reached to his knee, she looked sympathetically:

"Are you Mom's acquaintance? She always said she was Konoha's ninja. You look so sad, are you hurt somewhere? Do you want to find her to treat your wound?"

_Yeah, In a way it's true _

"I'm your mom's old friend _(actually old teacher and ex-lover)._ Tell me, Sakura-chan, does your mother live happily?"

"Yes, she does. She always smiles exc…"

"Sakura" – Isshiki cut his sister short before she tried to say more and he took her hand and warned her seriously:

"It's late Sakura, Mom will be worried, go home now."

"But I haven't picked any flowers for her "– the girl pouted sullenly, which really get to the little boy as he had to soften his voice:

"Flowers can wait for tomorrow, I'll help you to pick them, okay?"

The two kids really reminded Kakashi of younger Sakura and Naruto or Sasuke, the two boys and even he could not be really immune to her cute pout every time she wanted something.

Being a good girl, little Sakura did not want to disobey her brother and quickly nodded after a bright grin:

"Okay"

Then she turned to Kakashi:

"Do you want to meet Mom? She's done her job at this time".

"Sakura, I think Mom is tired now, visitor may make her fatigued, don't you think?"

The boy interrupted his little sister's offer to Kakashi curtly, expressing clearly that he did not like strangers approaching his mom. Kakashi quite get used to this type of possessiveness of boy towards his mom and his sister. He laughed quietly and rubbed both of the two's heads:

"I'm sure she's living happily as long as both of you around her. Okay, let her rest. I'm leaving now. Bye kids, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Uncle Hatake"

Little Sakura smiled gladly before being tugged along by Isshiki. Kakashi looked at the children moving towards the town's direction then made his move to follow them. He needed to confirm things before leaving forever – at least he had to make sure that Sakura's husband was a good man – a man truly deserved her.

To his amazement, the twin performed a really high-level of chakra control at such an early age to jump over trees and house roofs to reach their home located at a very far end of the large town. During their journey, the boy always made observance and left chakra signpost to detect any followings, which made Kakashi have to mask his chakra carefully. "_Such a keen sense for a ninja" _– thought he.

The twin stopped at a small and tidy flat with wooden fence around it – a traditional type. Hiding cautiously behind a large tree-trunk, Kakashi palpitated when the girl called out cheerfully:

"Mom, we're home"

"Hi, mom"

The boy's voice followed with less eagerness but not less affection.

"Hi, honey, how's school today?"

Right at the moment the tender voice ringing through his ear like a Christmas's bell, Kakashi felt his heart thumping violently against his chest and a tsunami of affection flooding his mind…

Eight years…

It had been eight-year since he last heard her sweet tone – which at all times brought tingling sensations to his inner mind every time she whispered loving words to his ears when they were wrapping in each other's limbs.

Eight-year since she said her last farewell and her voice that day still haunted him now…

Then she appeared from the open gate – charming and still gorgeously young – his Sakura – his 25-year-old Sakura … Her face was glowing under the yellowish-reddish twilights, she looked so beautiful and happy, not a single tingle of trouble marred her perfect features.

Hugging her two angels in her arms, she paid attention lovingly to what the little birds were chirping about (actually little Sakura was talking most of the time and Isshiki just nodded and answered tersely).

True to the girl's saying, Sakura smiled all the time, real and sweet smile which melt his heart from inside. Myriads of emotions overflowed Kakashi's mind when he saw her again: bliss, delight, worry, anguish, infuriation, but most prominently, love.

Deep and mad love – unchanged after so many years…

He already knew that he was, indeed, a stoic man. He could be very changeable when it came to women, but once he fell in love, it was love for life.

"We met a very strange masked man today, Mom"

Kakashi held his breath and he could sense Sakura's face tensed a little as her daughter mentioned the strange man:

"He said he was your old friend"

"Yeah, he said he's a Konoha's ninja"

Isshiki added enthusiastically – the idea of meeting a ninja seemed to be really intriguing to the boy- at this point Kakashi had to admit that he did a very good job to conceal his true feeling. Still managing a smile but a bit forcefully, Sakura asked:

"How does he look like, dear?"

"He looked really weird" – Isshiki hurried

"Not really, I think he's kinda good, he intended to help me pick up flowers for you" – Sakura answered

"Yeah, plus his look really suspicious "– Isshiki barged in – "he wears a head-band look like yours and pulls it over his left eye, he is tall and his hair was silvery"

"Yes" – Sakura nodded in agreement – "his hair looks just like Onii-chan's hair before you forced him to dye it."

The comment was a kill-strike to Kakashi. His shattering mind received the news as if thunderstorm had struck his ears and reeling through his already chaotic head. His analytical mind was whirling with thousands of thoughts and he soon realized Sakura's façade was pale and sweaty. She was panicked from the inside. It seemed to take her a moment to register the news when her son urged:

"Mom, can I have my silver hair back? I like it much better; black hair is so common, every one have it. Look at Sakura, she has your pink hair and she looks so special."

"Honey, go inside and take your bath, okay. I have a little business to do I will be back soon."

"Yes, Mom"

The twin docilely went inside the house and their mother carefully closed the gate behind them.

Then she did not have to wait long for her guest to appear. Kakashi quietly landed from the tree-trunk, faced her after letting a long sigh:

"Long time no see, Sakura"

"You, too, long time no see, Kakashi"

She said calmly but he knew it was just pretense. Her tensed look gave her away. Eight years…she left him and just a few seconds earlier he knew that he was the father of her two children. Even though he desperately wanted to dash to her and embrace her in his strong arms, his now infuriated mind contained him back.

He could never imagine his sweet Sakura could turn out to be this cruel and heartless. She went away when she was pregnant and totally bereft fatherhood of him. Was he so terrible that she could not entrust him with their children? Was he that irresponsible that she'd rather go away than let him know she was bearing his kids? Did she think that he would have copped out of his responsibilities with their children? He felt like being cheated and betrayed

"You don't seem to surprise, seeing me again, after eight years?" – He said with deadly calmness

"Indeed, I've been surprised all those time, Kakashi" – she looked straight at him with a pair of strong-willed eyes – "I'd never thought that you would chase after me when I left, and you did not give up after eight years…"

She was cold, estranged and so faraway as if she was not there in front of him within only a-few-elbow-distance. Acrimoniously, he realized that eight years had created a huge gap between them. She was gone together with the innocent Sakura who once were in love with him, regardless of everything. Now, in those jade orbs, he could only see a woman who was much more reserved, unruffled and indifferent. He chuckled humorlessly:

- "I never thought I was this unreliable to you, Sakura, really, you went away without saying anything, yeah, I could understand that" – he breathed hard – "It's my fault. I was too stupid and persistent to realize my true feeling and I…had let you down. But…I don't get it, am I so terrible to you that you couldn't tell me you were pregnant?"

- "Because I know you Kakashi" – She replied curtly and gave him a sad smile that almost melted his anger, made him realize that he was never quite immune to her hurt face. She did not cry but her smile touched his heart more than any tears – "I know how you hate being tied down with someone else. I know how you want to live with no bounds. I know how you're scare of being a married man and being a father. Even though I know that characters of yours, I could never prevent myself from falling so hard for you. I just became more pathetic each day when I saw you and could not collect my courage to confess to you. I was so afraid of being turned down once again but still could not take my eyes off you. I knew that you would never love me if I was just plain, boring Sakura who you never considered more than a former student. And day by day, my desire for you was just growing stronger; it exceeds my self-control until I decided to give myself a chance. I did not want to live in regret for once for not having the man I loved in my life. So I propositioned you to be my mate. I really thought I could have tricked you with the idea that I came to you purely for sex, so I never kissed you, I was afraid that your kiss would blow my cover. But then it's just got out of my control. I became greedier and hungrier. I wanted you to love me not just physically but spiritually. I wanted you to consider me as the only woman in this world, didn't see any one else rather than me. I knew I was selfish and ridiculous but I can't help it. I could never be that important to you since when I first came to you, it was just because I could intrigue you with the idea of amazing carnal relationship. And I found myself in a foolish dilemma. I loved the way you acted so carefree, and I hated if anyone tried to tie you down, but at the same time, I just wanted to keep you for myself only. Gradually, I just hated myself more when we were together, I felt so happy but at the same time I felt so depressing thinking that I could not have you all. I really did not know what to do at that time when that man died and you suddenly appeared at the hospital. I was so stunned but blissful more than ever. This was the first time you initiated to come to me, to console me on your own. I became more confused but in my soul, there was a light of hope. There was a tiny hope that my love may not be one-sized but mutual. Then I went on that mission to clarify my thoughts and decided to confess my feelings for you, at that time, I found out about my pregnancy."

With that Sakura tried to contain her heavy sigh and looked at him still with a pair of mirror-talking eyes, conveying too many unsaid emotions. Kakashi had said nothing during her revelation but he looked as if he was dead right there. A manifestation of amazement and self-reproaching and wistfulness was visible in his eyes. He was blaming himself for being so oblivious to her predicaments and insensitive to her feelings. At last he found his voice with a great deal of hesitation:

"I don't know, I… why could I be that stupid? Don't even recognize what I had put you through all that time…But why don't give me a chance Sakura?"

"I gave you a chance, Kakashi"

She snorted out a deep, sad laugh, for once, the calm surface seemed to be erupted. She looked at him wearily:

- "I waited for you three weeks, if you remembered, I waited for you to come, at least explained to me what happened that night, even the reasons were fake, the excuses were lame, I could still tolerate it, at least you consider my feelings. – her eyes could no longer bore into him and she was biting her lower lip hard to restrain her on-the-verge emotions –" I thought finally, we could end our inconclusive affair and move to a new stage. After the day you came to solace me in the hospital, I really hoped that you actually had something for me rather than lusts. With that, I at least felt sure enough to tell you of our child since I knew that it may be hard for you at first to know that you were going to be a father. I knew you were totally clueless when it came to children and paternal responsibilities. But time could help us and you would get use to it like you at last recognized there was something more between us than just sex. But I was wrong. I waited, day after day. Only three weeks but for me it seemed to be eternity. And you didn't come, you didn't bother to come. You were too used to having me found you, come to you instead of doing likewise. Then they returned. All of my uncertainties, doubts, fears returned, flooded my mind, awash my rationality, I was facing my biggest suspicion : "that's I'm no good for you, I'm nothing more special than other women you took to your bed" and if I revealed my pregnancy, I felt like trying to force you to do things you did not want to. Then all that left to me at that time were "leaving". I thought it was for the best, I could forget you, I could bring up my child and you didn't have to be tied down with a woman and a child you did not expect. But I couldn't help being with you that one last time, giving you that kiss…

Tears threatened to fall on her lower lids, her slim shoulders were on strain to get hold of her emotion. To his surprise, she once again contained her tears.

It suddenly crossed his mind: _"How long did I saw her last crying?"_

Probably, too long ago…

Heaving a heavy sigh through his ribcage, closing his eyes tightly and slightly shook his head, Kakashi said quietly:

"I'm sorry"

Then he took a few steps to move forwards to Sakura before she threatened him:

"Don't come near Kakashi…"

He was stopped mid way when reality struck him hard that his Sakura was no longer Haruno Sakura, she was Akamiya Sakura - someone else's wife. Ignored the tight tug at his stomach, he continued:

I've got it Sakura, but don't bring grudge on me; I've already paid the prize, haven't I?

He smiled sadly at her, the smile that for all time made her knee weak, eight year was long, but her emotion, it did not die as she had thought…

"Eight years, I think I understand all you had to endure now Sakura…"

He ended his talk with a sad smile, which seemed to upset and amaze Sakura to no end as she stared at him unblinkingly before pinching her brows together in an apparent expression of tremendous grief.

_He's still the old Kakashi – the old cool Copy Ninja who could penetrate so deep into her heart with only a few or very few words… _

Her first tear could no longer be held back

It reached the end of her cheek in a wink , completed its smooth sliding….

The first tear he saw in eight years….

"Why do you find me, Kakashi? – She questioned quietly but a pending outburst was bubbling under the ostensible composure features – Why you do this to me? After all those years, you don't even let me rest – her voice was shaking – why do you just give up and forget about me and let me live in a false delusion that I was your victim and I was right when I left you? Why do you come to prove that all I have done was wrong, and selfish and cruel? Why don't you keep on rubbing off every thing troublesome to you like me and move on with your phlegmatic way of living? I hate you Kakashi, I hate you so much because even it was hurt to hate you, but it's still much better than realizing that I still love you after all…"

It came without warning.

After a few thunder echoing from a distance, the dusk sky was heavy with grey clouds and the downpour fell down. It rained fast and thick to beat monotonous sounds on the house roofs. It sent chilliness and brooding to the two ex-lovers. It rained like these old days…

They just stood there, gazed at each other and made no move. Their eyes were exchanging millions of stories and emotions they could not say in the last eight years until their vision was blurred, until both of them could not distinguish between rain water and tear anymore.

In a nick of time, the eight-year-distance between them suddenly vanished. Eight year was damned long but it was just as fugitive as a delusion in this very moment since every thing was just returning to its starting point with all those familiar but at the same time unfamiliar sentiments rousing in their hearts…She was just like these days, dripping wet in her see-through shirt; drops of water following her pink strands managed their way to her cheeks, her nose-bridge and her neck; her eyes were also unchanged – still burningly green with eccentric mix of a woman and a young girl. Be it a woman, those orbs showed the warm glint of lenience, tolerance and sophistication. Be it a girl, they expressed ingenuousness, delicate hope and pure longing for an unrequited love.

She was his Sakura…no doubt and forever be…

Kakashi did not remember exactly how they closed their gap, how he was once again wrapping his arms around her body in a so tight hug that his life would be doomed if he ever had to let her go again, how she was also using all her strength and her small arms to hold him close and how she pressed her face to his chests to subdue bitter choked cries…

He suddenly found the answer to the question he kept on asking countless of time on his head: "Why does she always come in rainy day?" It came with extremely clarity that he blamed his ignorance for not seeing it any sooner… Why could he not know it? It's all clear now…

"_Rain is the best way to hide her tears, just don't want him to know that how hurt she was, how weak she was all these times, being with him but not actually having him"_

There was no need for talking anymore…both of them totally apprehended that their love had been through greatest challenge since it was perfectly right to be together like this…unless

"Sakura"

A trailed-off voice, turning up out of no where, broke into the two lover's private space. Undoing herself from Kakash's enfold, Sakura looked at the handsome man with black hair holding a large bamboo umbrella, she murmured in surprise:

- "Tatsuya, you come home early?"

- "Yeah"

The man moved his gaze to Kakashi with curiosity, even his face was calm, Kakashi still detected a small disillusionment in his eyes.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi had seen the ring on her hand right at the moment he saw her, but he ignored it…Now it was simmering under the well-lit room and looked so fit with the one on the man's hand.

"Where are Sakura and Isshiki?" – the man named Tatsuya asked with concern

"They are in their room, playing video game" – Sakura answered with a light smile – "wait a few minutes, I had prepared the dinner, just need to warm the dishes up now."

"No need to hurry, change your clothes Sakura, or you'll catch a cold" – Tatsuya said gently.

"Yeah, you're right" – Sakura replied and looked to Kakashi's direction hesitantly

Seeming to guess her intention, Tatsuya spoke:

"Just go changing, I will give him the towel and some clothes, I guess his clothes are all wet now."

Directing his look to Kakashi's package, Tatsuya smiled understandingly. _"This man seemed to be a good guy"_. Nodding her head lightly, Sakura went upstairs to her room. The man disappeared in the bathroom for a few second and returned the dining room to hand a large towel over to Kakashi:

- "Here dry your hair first"

"Thanks"

"No need to, just thing to do, right?"

The man smiled and Kakashi nodded lightly "yeah" but "it's not right" after all, he was standing in his ex-lover's house and in front of her husband. The awkwardness seemed so tangible. The man continued:

"I'll go to get you some clothes"

"No, thanks, I can deal with that"

Quickly performing a jutsu, Kakashi dried all his clothes. The idea of wearing her husband's clothes was worse and odder. Tatsuya seemed not to be much impressed:

"Yeah, I forget, you're a ninja, right?"

Kakashi just smiled back at him and tugged down his mask. He used the towel to permeate rainwater on his face then put it over his disarrayed tress. The black-haired man looked stunned for a brief moment as he saw Kakashi's face:

"You are really Isshiki's father, aren't you? He's a spitting image of you, I mean, if he has his silver hair back."

Kakashi found it a little bit surprised when her husband could calmly mention this. "Does he feel any hostility towards his wife's ex-lover?" _"Like I'm somewhat feeling it now"_.

"Daddy" – there came a twittering voice of none other than the little Sakura as she ran towards Tatsuya in glee

"Hi, princess"

The man opened his arm wide as Sakura hopped over to hug his neck tight in her tiny arms:

"I miss you so much, dad"

"I miss you too, princess" – Tatsuya pecked her forehead and her cheek as she pecked his cheek – "I bring some presents for you, princess, guess what?"

Looking thoughtfully for a moment, Sakura was thrilled to speak with excitement simmering in her eyes:

"Is it a cat, Dad?"

Tatsuya laughed merrily before rubbing her head and said:

"You're so smart, princess, I can never surprise you"

"Hi, Dad, how are you?"

Isshiki appeared at the foot of the stairs, followed by Sakura, he looked much nonchalant than little Sakura but his joy when seeing Tatsuya went unhidden. Compared to his guarded manner towards his real father, Kakashi felt somewhat lost. What is more, the way little Sakura cheeping merrily to Tatsuya roused what was so-called jealousy in his mind. Now, when he mulled over Isshiki's composed face and insidiously replaced his son's black hair with silver one, he took in the amazing likeness between him and the boy.

"Onii-chan, dad bought a kitty for me."

"And a sharp kunai for you, Isshiki" – Tatsuya added before handing over a box with mew mew sounds inside to Sakura and a small bag containing the kunai to Isshiki.

Sakura opened the box with care to reveal a tiny kitten with snow-white fur and wide blue eyes. The girl held the kitten with greatest gentleness and whispered in utter blissful amazement:

"Wow, looked at her, she was so beautiful, thanks dad, I love you"

"You'll take well care of it, won't you honey" – Sakura reminded her daughter gently before looking at Tatsuya gratefully – "she wouldn't stop talking about it, thanks, you don't really need to…"

"No, I'm glad seeing her happy" – Tatsuya cut short gently before moved to Isshiki who had just finished unwrapping the paper around his kunai – a very sharp one with high- quality – Kakashi was sure about it just by a glance at it.

"What do you think, Isshiki?"

"It's perfect" – the boy said sincerely and his confidence seemed to grow as he held it in his hand and stirred it skillfully around his fingers – "I really like it, thanks Dad." 

Looking at the family scene, surrounded by cozy atmosphere, Kakashi felt so wide off the mark. He was just like an outsider – a stain on a perfect picture – in Sakura's life now. Even when she was still in love with him, it was too late now. She got married and had a good husband; the twin loved him like their real father. What was he doing here? Destroying their happiness or what?

_He was late for three weeks that year_

_He was late for eight years now…_

"Is he your friend … oh, no, he's the man on the field" – little Sakura looked at Kakashi surprisingly before putting a hand over her mouth to conceal the shock – "he isn't wearing his mask, he looks so handsome, why does he wear a mask anyway?"

"What are you doing here?" – Isshiki narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, causing Kakashi chortle inside, he resembled him so much, back when he was a boy, he was also not easy to trust anyone, unlike little Sakura, who was as credulous as her mother.

"Isshiki, it is a proper way to greet the senior?"

Still with gentle but firm tone, Sakura tipped her son off. Kakashi held up his hand smile tolerantly:

"It's ok, I'm used to being suspected by people, It's my appearance I guess , secretive"

"Well, why don't you all sit down to eat dinner? I'm sure you all hungry, right? Dinner will be in minutes"

Sakura suggested while the two men looking knowingly at her and moved to sit down by the kitchen's table.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"She's not my wife, indeed. Our marriage was fake. Sakura appeared at Kazeyama one and a half year ago with the two kids. At that time, she wanted to rent a house and I was so glad to hire her one. It was so conspicuous that I actually fell for her right at the moment I saw her. Shortly after that, we became close friends and I loved the twin. She was a talented, compassionate and gorgeous medic that her fame rapidly increased and people here all loved and respected her. Countless men wanted to marry her and they did not concern about the fact that she had two kids. Amongst them, there were some well-off lords in the neighborhood but she turned down every one. However, those men just didn't give up easily and they even promised her of large edifices and prosperous life. When things got out of hand, I suggested that she should pretend to marry some one else to end all those complications. Sakura, at that time, was, certainly, worried that the twin's life will be affected so she agreed on my plan. I must admit I played a little dirty trick, apart from the fact that I indeed wanted to help her out, I wanted to gradually persuade her to fall in love with me. For a thirty-two year-old man, suddenly having a family was incredulously precious gift. I thought at least, my fortune really came but I was wrong. In her heart, there was some one else. Though I never asked her about it, I knew the man she loved must be the father of the twin because she never mentioned him, not once. If remembering him still hurt her so much, this meant she was still in love deeply."

Exhaling briefly, Tatsuya smiled sadly and turned to regard Kakashi who was leaning on the column supporting the house roof of the balcony with hand shoving deep in his pant's pocket. Half of his face was hidden in darkness and the other half was shone dimly by light of the crescent moon, making the unfathomable man seem to be more enigmatic. He kept silence all the time Tatsuya went over the story.

"I always know that this day would come anyway, the man she truly loves will show up at the door and take her away"

"You made me feel real bad, Akamiya-san"

Kakashi at last voiced his thought after a gloomy smirk

"I could never be this selfless, you do everything you can for her, and I show up, take her away, kinda like a villain, hn?"

"You don't have to feel that bad, Hatake-san" – Tatsuya slightly shook his head and heaved a long sigh – "I'm not a gallant protagonist either, I had proposed to her twice, and each time she turned me down, I told myself that someday, I could chase your image away from her mind since I always thought that you must be a real stupid jerk when losing her, and some days she will realize that I'm a much better guy than you, patience is my nature and I'm confident with that, but today…" – he paused for a moment while throwing his vision to the faraway dark horizon – "I admit I was defeated, by you. I'm not sure whether I can go around the world to search for her in eight years. Whatever mistake you did in the past, you make it up now. You truly treasure her and I'm far more relieved when she at least fell in love with a decent guy who deserves her" – Tatsuya raised his chin to look at the sky and let out a hard breath.

"Yeah, you're right" – moving from his position and leisurely leaned his elbow on the bar of the balcony, Kakashi smiled to a seemingly curious façade then continued: "I'm a jerk for losing her once, and I'm spending every single day in the rest of my life paying for that. Akamiya-san…"

Offering his right hand to Tatsuya, which the raven-haired man took with no hesitance, Kakashi smiled amicably:

"Thank you for taking care of her and the twin all the time, you're a really a good guy, to tell the truth, you're the only one who could put me through one thing I never expected to experience – Jealousy – and if I find her later, you really launch a big threat"

"Really?" – Tatsuya responded incredulously and actually found it amusing – _"This guy is really something" – "_I should be glad about it, shouldn't I?"

Then the two men laughed out loud, as if something enormous had just been lifted off their chest.

"So you're coming back to Konoha with her and the twin soon?"

"We still don't discuss that, it's all up to her. I guess…"

Shoving his hands deep in his pocket, looking up the sky, Kakashi inhaled the cool night air then continued:

"It would take the kids a long time, to accept me"

"Don't worry, blood is thicker than water, they'll understand"

……………………………………………………………………………………...

4 years later…

"Congratulation, princess, You become a jounin, the same rank as me and your mother now"

Kakashi lifted his daughter from the floor and winged her around proudly, the girl chortled merrily before hearing an exasperating comment:

"Don't do that pop, she's a jounin now, at least treat her like one"

Looking at his prissy son, Kakashi feigned hurt:

"I know, you're all grown up now and don't need this old man anymore, but I just want to congratulate you on such a significant as this, can't you two grant my wish?"

"Onii-chan, stop bullying Dad, why do you always that strict to him"

11-year-old- Sakura pouted sulkily at her elder brother why soothing her father

"No, you should stop that, Kakashi; don't you feel it ridiculous to do so, giving our kids false impression of their father?"

Sakura appeared from the kitchen door with a 6-month-year-old baby on her hand and looked askew at her husband. Although she was scolding him, her amused facial expression told a different story:

"Congratulation both of you, Isshiki, why don't you cheer up a little? It's quite an achievement, you know, honey?"

"Uchiha Sakiko activated her second level of Sharingan at the last stage and she looked quite smug with that?" – Isshiki blurted out irritatingly, making Kakashi and Sakura exchanged witty look

"_Rivalry, huh, it never stops"_

- _ "_Isshiki, you still won over her when it came to face-to-face confront, right? You are on the same team; don't get too pissed off with your comrade like that"

- "Well" – The silver-haired buy admitted – "She's good deal when we need to cooperate on mission, apart from that, she's really an uncute girl. Pop, we need to practice more, I really hate the smirk on her face" – Isshiki was totally ignorant of his parents and his sister's funny look when he referred to a "smirk" – an expression seemed to be present all the time on his face.

- "How's about your team, Sakura? Did they all pass?" – Sakura changed the topic to her daughter

- "Yeah, they all passed" – Little Sakura answered cheerfully – "Uncle Naruto said that they wanted to organize a joint party at Uzumaki's house tomorrow to congratulate all of us, Mom…"

The little girl suddenly trailed off and a pink blush tainted her cute cheeks:

" Uzumaki Eijiki said he wanted to pick me up tomorrow"

"What?" – Both the father and son cried out loud in disbelief, Sakura and little Sakura had to plug their ears, then Sakura put one finger on her lips to warn the two men of the house to keep silence since the baby was sleeping:

"Soo, you may wake Hikaru up, what's happen to you two? You've already known Eijiki like Sakura so much, don't you?"

"Well, That's not the case – Trying to keep his voice low but failing in concealing the angry tone, Kakashi whispered – Honey, don't you think it's too soon for them to date each other?"

"They're jounin now for god's sake, honey, I'm sure they reach the age"

"That's not an issue of soon or late, Mom, but it can't be Eijiki, my adorable sister cannot date with a conceited, loud-mouthed brat like him"

Isshiki barged in his parents's conversation, looking really mad

"What's with all of this possessiveness? It's my choice after all, don't you think?"

Little Sakura frowned hard as fire burned in her gaze, making her most beloved men felt chilled and perspired, after all, she was Sakura's daughter – who inherited not only her beauty and cuteness but also her short-tempered traits.

"Yeah, she's right, honey, I think you get too bad impression on Eijiki, he's quite a cute boy"

"NO, Mom"

"Enough, I get to find a proper dress to wear tomorrow"

Said and done, little Sakura turned on her heels and went upstairs, ignored her brother and father who intended to continue the "family talk"

But, Honey, please reconsider it…

I'll kill him, that Uzumaki's brat…


End file.
